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6:48 PM 22nd September 2021
sports

Leeds Lights Up Pink To Support Organ Donation Ahead Of British Transplant Games

 
This week iconic venues in Leeds are lit up pink to mark the start of Organ Donation Week.

Leeds Civic Hall and Museum helped turn the sky pink to raise awareness of the benefits of organ donation and get people talking about their wishes with loved ones ahead of the Westfield Health British Transplant Games taking place in Leeds next summer (28-31 July 2022).

Leeds City Councillors, transplant recipients from Leeds hospitals, representatives from Leeds Hospitals Charity were in attendance to mark the occasion.

Last year, in May 2020, the law around organ donation in England changed to an ‘opt out’ system. This means that it will be considered that you would be willing to donate your organs, unless you have opted out, are in one of the excluded groups or have told your family you do not want to donate.

However, it is important that people know that you still have a choice and family members will still be consulted before organ donation goes ahead. Families are more likely to support your organ donation decision, when they already know what you want to happen.

The British Transplant Games are the flagship event of charity Transplant Sport and seek to not only raise awareness of the life-saving benefits of organ donation and the importance of staying active post-transplant, but also to encourage these conversations to happen.

The Games are being staged in Leeds next year with renewed support from Westfield Health and Kidney Care UK as well as local partners including Leeds City Council, Leeds Hospitals Charity, Visit Leeds and the University of Leeds.

The event will see over 24 sporting events take place across the four-day event. Thousands of athletes and their families and friends are expected to travel to Leeds from across the UK, ready to finally celebrate the gift of life in-person again, with the rest of the transplant community.

For more information on the Games, visit: britishtransplantgames.co.uk/
For more information on organ donation and to register your decision, visit: https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/register-your-decision/